READ ME: How to Join or Host a Tournament

[Sonuis]

Simulator Tournaments Applications are OPEN!
Wi-Fi Tournaments Applications are OPEN!

Welcome to the Smogon Tournaments Forum!

Are you interested in hosting or joining a tournament? Well, you better learn about them before jumping the gun! So you better put on your reading glasses and learn what it takes to host a tournament or join a tournament. It's really important to know all the rules because there are repercussions to not following them. Bad ones I might add.

Hosting a Tournament

Before you can host a tournament, be aware that there are two different types of tournaments which can be hosted. Each follow their own rules and guidelines. Those types are...

Simulator
A simulator tournament is hosted on a Pokémon battle simulator. Approved simulator tournaments are to be posted in the Tournaments forum.

Wi-Fi
A Wi-Fi tournament is hosted using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network using actual game cartridges or discs. Approved Wi-Fi tournaments are to be posted in the Wi-Fi Tournaments forum.

Approval

1. Check to see if tournament applications are open or closed. If they are open, then you can apply to host a tournament.
2. You will send a tournament director a PM with your tournament application. Your application must include all details of your tournament. Special rules, standard clauses, etc. SEND IT TO ONLY ONE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR. A list of tournament directors is found at the end of this post.
3. When you have sent your application to a tournament director, the director you sent it to will inform you that your tournament was received and will go through an approval process between all of the directors.
4. If your tournament was approved, the tournament director you sent your application to will notify you that your tournament has been approved. There will be additional instructions to follow before you begin your tournament.
5. If your tournament was not approved, the tournament director you sent your application to will notify you that your tournament has not been approved. You will not be allowed to send in an application again for the tournament you requested. Doing so can result in consequences.

Requirements While Hosting (Simulator and Wi-Fi)

• For each round of your tournament, list the rules for your tournament and a link to this thread. In addition, you will post the name of the tournament director who you sent your tournament application to. That tournament director will make final life or death calls in a tournament if it comes to that.
• (Wi-Fi) When a player registers, they must post their Friend Code in their post to register. They must type out their Friend Code.
• Do NOT let players who are banned from joining tournaments (See this thread), are banned from the forum, or have a status of “I Could Be Banned!” under their nickname join your tournament!
  • If a player becomes close to/or becomes banned during a tournament, do not disqualify the player who is close to being banned. Substitute a banned player, only in round one, or at anytime if you are hosting a team tournament. Players whose status become negative during your tournament does not make you break the rules.
• (Wi-Fi) Do NOT let players who are blacklisted on Smogon's Wi-Fi list to join your tournament! This goes for both battling and trading!
• When you post your round, be sure that all of the participants in a tournament have their user names spelled correctly.
• Every round must have a deadline. This way your tournament will finish in a timely fashion.
• If players are not completing their battles, contact them via the Smogon PM system, or any other contact method.
• If there are a lot of incomplete battles, allow for a deadline extension. Do not make it too long, and avoid giving them if at all possible.
• Disqualify players fairly.
  • If two players are trying to complete their match and there are not many matches left to complete your round at the deadline, move their match into the next round next to their following opponent.
  • If one player is very active while another is not, disqualify the inactive player.
  • If both players are inactive, flip a coin.
  • If a situation cannot be handled, ask a tournament director to help make a decision for you.
• Tournaments on Smogon are generally Random Pairings. However, we have now started allowing Swiss Format tournaments and Round Robin. Swiss needs to be extremely strict though, and Round Robin is meant to be kept small. (Bracketmaker) for random pairings.
• Do not fix a tournament to benefit one player or in your favor.
• It is a good idea (but not required) to request that players should send in a log of their completed battle/match.
• All non-official tournaments that don't have a specifically approved signup method will use First Come First Serve for the first 62.5% of the players, and then the host must randomize amongst the remainder of signups for the last 37.5%.
• All non-official tournaments must keep their signup threads open for a minimum of 36 hours.
• The maximum length for an individual tournament round is two weeks, unless they have longer deadlines explicitly approved by a tournament director.
• Extensions may be given, but the next round must be posted a maximum of 24 hours after the deadline (with extensions if applicable).
• (Wi-Fi) Prizes in Wi-Fi are allowed.
  • (Wi-Fi) Be sure that you can follow through with your prize offered.
  • (Wi-Fi) If your prize is a pokémon, be sure that you can send it to a person via their Friend Code.

Should you fail to comply to the rules, you will be infracted and banned from hosting future tournaments on Smogon.

Playing

1. Read and understand all of the rules of a tournament before joining. If you do not understand a rule, ask the tournament host.
2. Make sure that you are capable of participating for the entire time. Should there be any problems participating, and you need to drop out of the tournament, contact the tournament host and your opponent.
   • Make sure your reason for dropping out is valid. Dropping out “Because” is inexcusable and will result in an infraction. A repeat offense will ban you from playing in tournaments.
3. (Wi-Fi) When you join, post your Friend Code too. Do not say that it is in your signature. Type it out.
4. (Wi-Fi) If you are on the Smogon Wi-Fi Blacklist, you are not allowed to join Wi-Fi tournaments.
5. If you are in the tournament and at anytime change your user name, notify the tournament host and your opponent immediately. This solves hosting problems and player contacting issues.
6. (Wi-Fi) Should your Friend Code change, notify your tournament host and opponent immediately!
7. Be a good sport. Nobody likes a spoil sport.
8. Do not break any of the tournament rules.
9. Decisions made by the tournament host are final. Unless it is life or death breaking decision, then contact the tournament director listed in the thread for their help. If that director decides it’s worth looking into, then the director will make a call.
10. Don't stall or freeze the timer.
11. You may only use Pokemon, movesets, items, etc that are available on the Smogon University server unless otherwise stated by an individual tournament's specific rules.

Should you fail to comply with the above, you will be infracted. If you repeat your mistake, you will be infracted again and banned from joining tournaments.

Tournament Directors (Simulator)
Jackal
Earthworm
Kevin Garrett
Philip7086

Tournament Directors (Wi-Fi)
Alaka
Jimbo

Special Events Directors (Contact for specific events only)
Philip7086 (Smogon Tour)
Jackal (World Cup of Pokémon)
LonelyNess (Smogon Premier League)
Shiv (World Cup of Pokémon)
Kevin Garrett (Smogon Frontier)
Earthworm (Battle of the Week)


We hope this guide helps you if and when you host or join a tournament in the future on Smogon. If there is anything that does not make sense, feel more than free to contact a tournament director. You can send a PM through the Smogon PM system, or join us on IRC. You'll more than likely find at least one of us!

- The Directors

Banned from creating a tournament list
Flub
Deucalion2
Sikh Assassin
L E A V E1
Kirby23
moi
Cynthia
Itchni
Setrack

Banned from joining a tournament list
EeveeTrainer
Viodox
Flub
Dagger
CLegacyM
Biglsworth
Setrack
Asuya Sosuke

[Sonuis]

Attention

Since it seems to have disappeared from the list, I want to mention that Scouting is not a rule that can be enforced. It's something that is near impossible to control.

Don't bitch about it

[Jackal]

Rule 10 states "Don't abuse glitches". Given recent circumstances and the general vagueness of this rule, it has been expanded and clarified, which I will detail below:

General Philosophy on Glitches:

Adhering to cartridge mechanics in the simulator is the program writer's responsibility and duty. The players have a duty to attempt to win within the confines of the game presented to them (simulator, NOT cartridge).

With that said, we have decided to compile an exhaustive list of all aspects of the simulator game that do not function as the cartridge does. This list is currently in the process of being completed, and will be made public upon completion.

From this list, we will ban glitches that we feel make the game unplayable or "break" the game, as judged subjectively by us. All other glitches will be fair game, since given the list we are creating, there are simply far too many that can be used in too many situations to change the game. It would be impossible to regulate them all.

List of Glitches currently banned:

None yet.

This list will be updated with the completion of the glitch research thread.

[Aeolus]

Notice I've removed rule 10 since it seemed somewhat confusing given Jackal's post above. Please refer to his post for how "glitches" will be treated for tournament purposes.